Gran Turismo event to reveal series future next week

Creator Kazunori Yamauchi to reveal what’s in store for the franchise

Sony is holding a 15th anniversary Gran Turismo event at the UK’s Silverstone Circuit next week where it plans to reveal what’s next for the series. Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi will be on hand to discuss the future of PlayStation's best-selling franchise, which launched in Japan in 1997, worldwide the following year, and had sold almost 68 million units as of November 2012.

GT Academy stars will demonstrate their racing skills with laps around the circuit, which hasn’t featured in a Gran Turismo game to date, while manufacturers including Audi, BMW, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Nissan, KTM, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla and Toyota will show off a variety of old and new vehicles that will be familiar to fans of the series.

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) president Jim Ryan said: "The Gran Turismo franchise continues to be extremely important to PlayStation. As well as experiencing the development of the franchise and comparing the virtual and real, it will be a pleasure to see Yamauchi-san and hear what's next for Gran Turismo."

In an interview conducted in February, SCEE senior VP of worldwide studios Michael Denny listed Gran Turismo 6 alongside other PS3 games set for release this year. However, reached for a follow-up comment at the time, Sony refused to address Denny's apparent slip-of-the-tongue regarding the game’s target platform and launch window. Of course, with the title still yet to be officially revealed, a cross-generation release remains a possibility. Since then, multiple retailers have begun carrying listings for the game on PS3.